Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell hydrogen fuel cell: It is serious!

Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell's hydrogen fuel cell has stepped AUTOBILD.ES our country and has been able to prove it. It emits only water vapor gets a range of 588 kilometers and its performance is like any other electric vehicle. A dream? Not at all. It is a reality that is manufactured at the plant in Ulsan, Korea.

East Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell (from hydrogen battery)I'm about to drive it is the result of no less than 14years working in this field by the Korean brand. It is thefirst steps on our country and will be one of the firstlucky to try this technology ...

The first thing I have to clarify is that this Hyundaiix35 Fuel Cell It is not something like a prototype or onlyexisting unit, but is a completely carproduction as Hyundai, after reaching figuresautonomy and consumption has come to this vehicle hasdecided to manufacture in series and, in fact, is something that already isdoing since December last year at its plant in Ulsan,Korea.

At the controls of Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell

I have it in front. Outside absolutely nothing changes. nothing II'd say I'm not against a Hyundai ix35 ordinary, ifwas not, of course, for these striking vinyls of its body whichThey are responsible to clarify that it is the version of hydrogen-.I open the trunk and wonder where they have placed the batteries. Is it sojust below the row of rear seats and under the trunkwhich lost about 5 cm in height-nothing more, the engine iscompletely occupied by the hydrogen fuel cell (this makesincrease the overall weight 200 kg over versionscombustion, which places around 1,850 kg).

Without further questions, I ride in the driver's seat.I'm really anxious to see 'what this'. Insert the key,turn and nothing happens. But taking a look at the instrumentationI find that few digits change and tell me that the car isI preparadao. So, like any other electric car, loosethe brake pedal and Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell beginsgently forward. is not heard nothing, absolutely nothing.

I do not know if this is why hydrogen (using ambient airInstead of compressed air, which eliminates noise and increasesefficiency) or also, subonscientemente, I enagaña themoron so soft suspension (I warn that this unitKorean mounts specifications, and there like all veryblandito), but I notice that the ride comfort is extremelyhigh. The head of Hyundai that I co-pilot tells methat by one of the buttons on the dashboard, the car cansimulate a hissing anti-abuse (such as electricpure), and it is, but from 20 km / h this sound disappears,since the sound tread itself is sufficient to 'tell' ofthat you're approaching.

The output of traffic lights is cheerful, like theirrecoveries, offering great strength at all times. YesYou want to talk about equivalent numbers of powerIt is generated by its 136 hp engine, through which you can speedto 100 km / h from standstill in 12.5 seconds and reach 160km / h speed limit.

People stare at our pace. It's normal, I carry acar of considerable size, do nothing and noiseAll they can see coming out the exhaust pipe is aharmless water vapor. Although good, it is possible that largeblue vinyl 'Zer0 g CO2 / km' also have something to dothis...

Disadvantage of hydrogen fuel cell

The company, currently has 1,000 units manufactured thinkingthis Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell until it reaches 2015,which plans to increase production to about 10,000, andcurrently, although technology stackhydrogen it is a tangible reality, has some otherinconvenient:

-First of all is the price:

Hyundai people explained to me that, for the moment, the figure isexorbitantly high, but expect that within a few years, whenproduction increase, this bill Hyundai ix35 FuelCell It will be significantly reduced. Wonder how itnow and answer me "about 129,000 eurosapproximately". That's why now only offered byrent a 'special clients', as some municipalitiescities in Denmark and Sweden, which already have several unitscirculating through the streets.

-The second is the Refueling:

To date, Europe is not that abound ... call them'Hidrolineras' and less in Spain, where now only existfive points where you can refuel these vehicles. Further,to fill the tank with 5.6 kg of hydrogen necessaryto have autonomy of 588 kilometers from east Hyundaiix35 Fuel Cell, is necessary to resort to a charging point thatprovide a pressure of 700 bar (in the rest of Europethere) and in our country is only 350, half, so onlyWe could go 294 km once.

-And the third and last, durability:

Using current technology, it is now completelyHyundai developed, the approximate durability for thesehydrogen batteries It is around 100,000kilometers ...

conclusion

East Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell It is proof ofthat there are alternative technologies to fossil fuels, nonot only capable of emitting a single gram of CO2 into the atmosphere,but also less harmful in their manufacture and subsequentI thrown away. In addition their refuel, it only takes a couple of minutesstations, eliminates the inherent concern of carselectric thrown stay or having to wait hours torefill the batteries. The only real problem is the poorinfrastructure that currently exists for hydrogen stationswhere you can recharge these vehicles. But of course, if there are noneever, there will be no reason to want to install more stationssuch right ?. Someone had to be the first to bet on it.So ... I bravo Hyundai!